Ex. But even when Mr. Bush has pressed for reform, as he did this year on Social Security, Republicans on Capitol Hill have whined and resisted. If Mr. Bush failed to mobilize the country, it was in part because Congressional Republicans were so vocal in their caterwauling.
And therein is the real problem. The GOP is not short on ideas. It is short of will in the Legislatures.
The WSJ should be embarrassed by this column, they could and have done far better in past.
And, btw, I'm resistent to forces in the base behaving as immorally as Dems because Delay committed one, apparently on their parts, unpardonable error. Delay has been effective, he is a conservative. He has been responsible for conservatives successes on whole in past. And I denounce any that seek his head on either aisle. Delay and Pence can co-exist in the Party and I am fond of BOTH.
"And therein is the real problem. The GOP is not short on ideas. It is short of will in the Legislatures."
I agree with your idea, but would expand on it by noting that the GOP has become a conservative marketing organization, not a conservative political party. Very good at marketing the idea of conservative ideas. But in no rush to actually implement them.
To date, my political party has not stepped into the vacuum that liberal Republicans have left in their wake, but that time is probably coming. Not in time for 2006, but 2008 might be very interesting.